Method and apparatus for mixing beverages



Oct. 27, 1953 i3,4 s, WOLKE 2,657,023

v METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING BEVERAGES Filed May 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 27, 1953 B. s. woLKE 2,557,023

y METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING BEvERAGEs Filed May 2, 1951 5 sheets-Sheet 2 emdlfagsfld WCM@ LNVELNTOK,

Oct. 27, 1953 B. s. woLKE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING BEvERAGEs 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May .2, 1951 @i Q'JMAM. 90,5@ IKMN l A1-Ilya Oct. 27, 1953 B. s. woLkE l 2,557,023

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING BEVERAGES Filed May 2, A1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 27, 1953 B. s. WGLKE 2,657,023

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING BEVERAGES Filed May 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 27, 1953 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING BEVERAGES Berndt S. Wolke, Oskarshamn, Sweden, assigner to Linkoping, Sweden Aktiebolaget Wicanders Korkfabriker,

Application May 2, 1951, Serial No. 224,166 In Sweden May 16, 1950 10 Claims. 1

In the manufacture of refreshing drinks a small quantity of syrup is fed into the bottles and then the remaining space in the bottles is filled with carbonated water. As long as the bottles remain in the upright position, no true or eflicient mixing of the syrup with the water takes place. This is also the case during transport of the bottles in boxes. In order to effect a mixing, the bottles are often turned up and down manually several times when placing them in the boxes, and to obtain an effective mixing the bottles have to be turned up and down 4 to 5 times.

Several apparatus operating automatically have been constructed for this purpose. Thus. an apparatus has been constructed which has a rotating table provided with bottle holders into which the bottles are introduced by means of an infeed dial from the conveyorbelt and clamped axially, whereafter the bottle holder during the rotation quickly turns the bottle up and down a number of times. The bottle is thereafter conveyed to the conveyor belt by means of an outfeed dial. Such an apparatus is disclosed in the British Patent 532,254, accepted January 21, 1941.

Another known apparatus consists of a vertical wheel with pockets into which a number of bottles is introduced by means of slides, whereafter the bottles are swung round by one or more rotations of the wheel, and finally discharged by succeeding bottles to the same, or to another, conveyor belt. Apparatus of this type are dealt with in the Swedish Patent 115,759, granted November 29, 1945, the French Patent 800,676, delivered May 4, 1936 and the German Patent 659,907 granted May 12, 1938. There is also an apparatus which takes the whole transport-box with the bottles standing therein and imparts to the same a repeated tilting and uprighting movement, e. g. as described in the Swedish Patent 123,413 granted September 23, 1943.

The present invention relates to a mixing apparatus operating in quite another manner than those mentioned above. 'I'his method may in short be characterized as follows: the bottles are moved around an approximately horizontal axis in about radial position by means of a driver in the form of a guide which is parallel with the axis of rotation, and are pushed forward in said guide by means of another stationary guide which is more or less like a screw thread and which is approximately co-axial with the axis of rotation, so that the bottle while being turned over by the axial guide, may, at the same time, be pushed forward in said guide by the action of the other guide and thereby be fed forward, e. g. n a bottle conveyor.

The apparatus operates very noiselessly and effectively and does not occupy much room at a bottle conveyor belt. If other beverages, which do not require shaking of the bottles, are to be treated at the same conveyor, the apparatus is arranged in such a manner that it can be swung up and out of the path for the bottles transported on the conveyor belt.

The apparatus may be said to be essentially characterised in that it has a rotatable part and a stationary part, the rotatable part having one or more axially arranged bottle guides, approximately parellel with the axis of rotation, in which guides the bottles are moved around the axis in about radial position, the stationary part having a stationary guide for the bottles extending around the axis of rotation so that it is out of the way of the rotatable guides and at least partly is formed like a helix or screw thread, so that the bottles, while being turned over by the axial guide, may at the same time be pushed forward in the said guide by the action of the other guide and thereby be fed through the mixing apparatus.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates the idea yor principle of the invention, the remaining figures showing one embodiment, by way of example. of the invention for practical use.

Figure 2 is a side view of the mixing apparatus, viewed from the outfeed end.

Figure 3 is a section on the broken line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view, partly in section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, the characters a and b designate two round end walls which are rigidly connected to each other by means of a material axis or shaft 3. Said shaft is mounted above a conveyor c, e. g. a belt, and is adapted to be rotated in the direction of the arrow d. A bearing e is provided for the shaft and the transmission drive includes a driving pulley f. A bottle guide, in the form of a driver, extends from one end wall to the other and consists of two guide rails l and 2, said rails being secured to the end walls at such a distance from each other that bottles can pass between them, the bottles being moved in the direction of the arrow g. In the end wall a there is an infeed opening I2 and in the end wall b there is an outfeed opening |2a. The rails l and 2 extend approximately parallel with the shaft. Outside said rails there is a stationary guide channel 4 shaped like a helix or screw thread having the bottom turned outwardly. The channel 4 extends from one end wall to the other, and its ends face the guide I, 2, as shown in the gure. The device functions in the following manner:

A bottle which has been conveyed on the conveyor belt c through the end lwall opening I2 is fed in between the guide rails I, 2 and is then in the right moment rotated around'the shaft 3 in the direction of the arrow d, whereafter it is pushed by the rail 2 into thechannel 4 and then guided by said channel towards theoutfeed end while the rail 2 serves as a driver. Inwardly bent rail edges or flanges I5 prevent the bottle from falling out from the guide formed by the rails' I, 2. When the bottle leaves the channel, it is gripped by the conveyor belt, passes out through the opening I2a and is transported further by the belt.` During its passage through the turning apparatus the bottle has obviously performeda complete revolution, i. e. 360". The stationary guide or channel 4 is here shown to form a single winding of a screw thread with an exaggerated high pitch for clearance sake, but it may, of course, comprise as many windings as the number of revolutions it is desired to impart to the bottles, in order that the mixing shall be efficient. The winding pitch of the guide cannot, however, be less than the diameter of the bottle plus the thickness of the side rail 4a (Figures 4 and 5) of the Channel 4, plus the required play between the bottle and the side rails 4a. There is no reason for making the pitch greater, because the machine would thereby only become larger and the side rails 4a could not serve as side walls for two adjacent Channels 4.- In the embodiment bereinafter described with reference to Figures 2 to 5 inclusive, the arrangement is such that the botties make five full turns, by which a quite satisfactory mixing of the liquids is obtained. Furthermore, the embodiment has a plurality of axial guides I,'2 and a corresponding number of end wall openings; thus, the mixing apparatus will have a very great capacity.

The embodiment in question comprises two main Darts, viz, the mixing apparatus itself and the drive device. The axis of rotation or shaft o f the mixing apparatus is designated by 3, and the axial guide rails by I and 2. The stationary guide consists of two side rails 4a forming the edges of the channel 4, and of a pair of rails 4b forming the bottom of the channel. This guide does not run in a helix around the whole shaft 3 but only along a part of its circumference, viz. on the lower side, which has proved suitable in order that the friction between the bottles and the guides shall become as small as possible and thereby any risk of breakage be eliminated. In the upper half, the guide runs parallel with radial planes in relation to the shaft. The screw line parts, i. e. the lower parts of the rails 4a, are shown in dashed lines in Figure 4 and in full lines in Figure 5, which, however, only vshows their lowermost part.

The upper parts of the rails 4u, are shown in full lines in Figure 4, asr will be seen from the section. The rails 4a and 4b are secured in bars G which are anchored in the frame of the machine, which is placed laterally of the conveyor. A plurality of guide rails I, 2 connect the two end walls 8, 3, and an opening I2 and I2a respectively in the end walls corresponding to each pair of rails. The ends of the shaft 3 are mounted each in its respective side piece I0 of the frame. The in.-

wardly bent rail edges or flanges I5 which prevent the bottles from falling out from the guide 4, are best seen in Figures 2 and 5. The mixing apparatus is driven by the following device which is mounted in the frame of the machine.

The shaft 3 is by a transmission f, Il, I8 (Figure 2) connected to a transmission shaft 2B mounted in the frame. Said transmission shaft is, together with another trans-mission 2l, 22, 23 (Figure 3) Connected with a worm gear (the cap 2.4 of which only is Visible) which Via a transmission 25, 26, 2l isdrivingly connected to an electric motor 29. Numeral 28 designates a coupling of known kind for engaging and disengaging the shaft 20.

The drive may, of course, be made in many other ways and with constructions differing essentially from each other. The device described above is but an example of a suitable drive.

In order to ensure the infeed and outfeed of the bottles, there are provided stationary guide rails 30 and 3l respectively (Figure 5), co-operating with the guide 4 and connected to a conveyor c which may be of known kind, e. g. a belt or chain conveyor. The guide rails 35 and 3l may be pivoted around vertical shafts and be under the action of a spring l35, for example and be kept out of the way of the bottles by the bottles themselves. The machine is preferably so formed that any movement of the rails is transmitted to and actuates a stop button, for example, for the motor current; hence any breakage at the infeed and outfeed is prevented.

The machine functions as follows:

The bottles 33 are in turn conveyed by the conveyor c through an end wall opening I2, see Figures 4 and 5, and introduced between the two rails I, 2, which are located right above the conveyor. This conveyor rotates continuously, at such a speed that the bottles, one after the other, have time to enter the opening just travelling past the conveyor. Of course, the wheel formed. by the end walls and the rails I, 2 may alternatively be rotated stepwise. When a bottle has entered between the rails I, 2, it is set in motion laterally and introduced between the rails da, and is now pushed forward between all four rails through a plurality of revolutions until it comes back onto the conveyor again. The bottle then leaves the wheel through the opening I2a. During rotation, viz. during the first part of the revolution, the rails 4b prevent the bottles from falling out from the apparatus and during the latter part of the revolution the flanges I5 prevent the bottles from gliding out from the guide I, 2.

As already mentioned, it may in certain cases be ldesirable to bring the mixing apparatus out of the way of the bottle conveyor. In the embodiment shown, the side pieces of the frame are pivoted to the shaft 20 so that the .whole frame may be swung up to the position indicated in dashed lines in Figure 2. Prior to performing said movement, the transmission wheel I8 is dis.- engaged from the transmission wheel 2 I by means of the coupling 28. When the apparatus` is to be used again, it is swung down to the working position above the conveyor, and the two wheels 2I and I8 are coupled together again. However, as regards its function the apparatus is independent of the construction of the conveyor; for example, it may co-operate with a conveyor feeding the bottles into the apparatus and with another conveyor discharging the bottles from the apparatus.

Having now described my invention, `what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for mixing the contents of bottles comprising a rotatable part and a stationary part, the rotatable part having at least one axially arranged bottle guide, approximately parallel with the axis of rotation, in which guide the bottles are moved around the axis in about radial position, the stationary part having a stationary guide for the bottles extending around the axis of rotation so that it is out of the way of the rotatable guides and at least partly is formed like a helix, so that the bottles, while being turned over by the axial guide, may, at the same time, be pushed forward in the said guide by the action of the other guide and thereby be fed through the mixing apparatus.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim l, including a conveyor belt adapted to co-operate with the guides so that the bottles automatically pass into and out of the apparatus in accordance with the conveying speed of the conveyor belt.

3. A method for mixing liquids in closed bottles, comprising gripping bottles` rmly enough to allow inversion of each bottle, inverting each bottle a plurality of times by rotation in an approximately radial position around a horizontal axis, which is common for all revolutions, and simultaneously pushing forward by being moved helically during substantially the rwhole lower semirevolution and then being moved in a radial plane at the rest of the revolution and again being pushed forward in the same way during the following revolutions, and then feeding each bottle to a conveyor.

4. Apparatus for mixing the contents of bottles comprising a conveyor having a belt, a rotatable part and a stationary part, the rotatable part having at least one axially arranged bottle guide, approximately parallel with the axis of rotation, in which guide the bottles are moved around the axis in about radial position, the stationary part having a stationary guide for the bottles extending around the axis of rotation so that it is out of the way of the rotatable guides and at least partly is formed like a helix so that the bottles, while being turned over by the axial guide, may, at the same time, be pushed forward in the said guide by the action of the other guide and thereby be fed through the mixing apparatus, including means including side pieces and a shaft to which said side pieces are pivoted, for allowing relative movement between the conveyor and the remaining portions of the apparatus so thatsaid remaining portions of the apparatus can be moved aside from the belt, so that the belt can also convey bottles which are not to be turned over.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including a shaft, and in :which the apparatus is adapted 1' to be swung around the shaft which is also a transmission shaft in the drive device.

6. Apparatus for mixing `the contents of bottles comprising a rotatable part and a stationary part, the rotatable part having an axially arranged bottle guide way said arrangement being such that said guide way is substantially parallel with the axis of rotation, said guide way cooperating with a bottle conveyor at the inlet end and with a bottle conveyor at the outlet end,

said guide way being adapted to invert a nurnber of bottles simultaneously and with the top of each bottle directed toward the axis of rotation, the stationary part having stationary bottle guiding means extending substantially in a screw spiral around the axis of rotation, said stationary bottle guiding means running several windings around said axis, the lower part of each said guide `winding running hel'ically and the upper part running in a radial plane in relation to the axis mentioned above.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, including a plurality of axially arranged bottle guide ways.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the elements constituting the guide way include guides provided with iianges which are arranged to contact each bottle neck and to act as supports for the bottles when they are down-turned during the rotation.

9. Apparatus for mixing the contents of bottles comprising a rotatable part and a stationary part, the rotatable part having at least one axially arranged bottle guide, approximately parallel with the axis of rotation, in which guide the bottles are moved around the axis in about radial position, the stationary part having a stationary guide for the bottles extending around the axis of rotation so that it is out of the way of the rotatable guides and at least partly is formed like a helix, so that the bottles, while being turned over by the axial guide, may, at the same time, be pushed forward in the said guide by the action of the other guide and thereby be fed through the mixing apparatus, said stationary guide being arranged partly along a helical path and partly in planes radial to the axis of rotation.

10. Apparatus for mixing the contents of bottles comprising a rotatable part and a stationary part, 'the rotatable part having at least one axially arranged bottle guide, approximately parallel with the axis of rotationy in which guide, the bottles are moved around the axis in about radial position, the stationary part having a stationary guide for the bottles extending around the axis of rotation so that it is out of the way of the rotatable guides and at least partly is formed like a helix, so that the bottles, While being turned over by the axial guide, may, at the same time, be pushed forward in the said guide `by the action of the other guide and thereby be fed through the` mixing apparatus, said mixing apparatus also including two coaxial rotatable end walls, and in which a plurality of axial guides is arranged around the axis of rotation and rigidly connected with the two coaxial rotatable end walls, one of which has an infeed opening and the other an outfeed opening in front of each axial guide.

BERNDT S. WOLKE.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,355,032 Brown Oct. 5, 1920 2,043,621 Judd June 9, 1936 2,265,803 Davis Dee. 9, V1941 2,552,440 Malo May 8, 1951 

